Britain's army forces are to get their first-ever Muslim chaplain, a defense ministry source was quoted in the Sunday Times.The company and counsel of a salaried cleric may be able to "help persuade" the 300-plus Muslims in the army, navy and Royal Air Force to stay in service despite ongoing conflict in Muslim countries, the paper said.
Although the military provides prayer facilities and halal foods for Muslims and allows them to grow beards and observe Ramadan, it has until now only had Christian religious counselors for troops.
The US military, in contrast, has Jewish rabbis and Muslim clerics in its ranks.
The defense source told the Sunday Times a cleric would be named in the upcoming months.
But the appointment could hit a snag over the issue of homosexuality, since Islamic law condemns it as a sin but British policy bans discrimination on the basis of sexuality.
"It will be almost impossible to find an imam in this country who condones homosexuality," Shahid Raza, head imam at the Leicester Central Mosque and a leading Muslim figure, said.
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